Mastore 164 - Dumpster

Magic Realm Convenience Store – Ch. 164

Contrary to expectations (2)

While dark clouds were hanging over the morning store sales, the sky outside was blue without a single cloud. It’s the kind of weather that makes you think about wearing short sleeves. Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming...

And me having a terrible time. Just who is this woman. How the hell did she figure out I’m from another world, and why is she asking that in a way like this?

More importantly, what's her intention? Whether she knew my mind was racing or not, the woman in front of me just kept staring at me with a slight frown.

"...Well."

"You've suddenly gone quiet."

“I don’t really… understand what you’re talking about…”

Let me think without rushing me. I dodged the question, but the woman, seemingly puzzled by my reaction, furrowed one eyebrow slightly more and asked again.

“Did I phrase that too complicatedly?”

And now she’s asking if she made it too complicated. In that same flat tone, not a single rise or fall in her voice.

I still have no idea who this woman is or how spacious the garden in her head might be...

"...No. Your question wasn't complicated."

"That's a relief."

"But what do you mean by not being from this world? Are you saying there's another world or something?"

I asked back. I had to hear her out.

If you gathered millions, hundreds of millions of different races in this world and asked them whether someone’s from this world or not, they’d all reflexively give the same answer: Have you eaten something wrong?

I would be the only one among them who would think before answering. I need to understand why she's asking this. It's not like she has some weird hobby of going to convenience stores and asking employees if they're from another world...

"Hmm."

"Excuse me?"

"You asked if there's another world. Whether another world exists or not, in the end, you won't know unless you see it with your own eyes, right?"

“Huh…”

“Right, Oppa.”

I can’t follow the flow of this conversation at all. When someone asks first and then responds like this, what am I supposed to answer? Is she really doing this as a hobby?

"By the way, you're not denying it. That you came from another world?"

It’s not that I didn’t deny it. I couldn’t. If I flatly answered no, she'd probably say, ‘Ah, you're caught. Good day,’ and walk out. After exchanging a few words, I can now guess that much.

There were a few other things I could guess. For one, she didn’t seem to have any intention of doing anything to me over this.

If she had such intentions, she wouldn't be waiting so politely for an answer like this. She would've threatened me in some way, whether by reporting me as a spy or something.

Also, it's likely related to what she was doing earlier. This woman had been sitting at the table writing something in a notebook until just now, and had torn and crumpled several pages.

Maybe I should just send this woman away and check the contents of that paper. I glanced over at the table, and like a ghost, she noticed it instantly and spoke up.

“You’re looking at my notebook.”

“No. My eyes were just tired, so I glanced outside.”

“Are you that curious about what I was doing?”

“...Yes. Actually, I am curious.”

"I won't tell you. You won't tell me whether you're from another world or not either, Oppa."

How logical. Setting aside whether checking the contents of crumpled notes and asking if someone is from another world are equivalent questions...

While I was thinking, a phone ringtone sounded. It was my phone ringtone. Glancing down quickly to check, I saw it was a call from Manager.

“Um, I’m going to take this call for a moment.”

“Just for a moment, okay.”

That's not something I can control. As soon as I pressed the receive button, Manager immediately stated her business, and her voice was quite loud.

[Chan-ah. There's something extremely urgent, so could you come outside for a moment?]

“Huh? Outside?”

[Un. If there’s a customer inside, ask them kindly to excuse you since you have to step out for a moment.]

So she says. I removed the phone from my ear and looked at the woman, and she asked me, perhaps having heard what Manager was saying. In a slightly disappointed tone.

"Do I have to leave? I still haven't gotten an answer."

“Yes. It’s an order from my superior. I ask for your understanding.”

"Fine, I’ll do as you ask, so please do me a favor too.”

"Why should I... No, yes. Please tell me."

"Can I come again later?"

I was going to say: If you tell me why you want to come again, then I’ll consider your request too, but I swallowed the words. Whether a customer comes to the convenience store or not isn’t something I get to decide. As long as they’re a customer.

"That's entirely up to you, Customer. If you have something to buy, just come.”

"Ah. I have to buy something."

As if she just realized this was a convenience store, she muttered and then grabbed a shopping basket from the front lobby and went inside. A moment later, she returned with the basket overflowing with chocolate.

Then she pulled a wallet from the pocket of her windbreaker, placed it on top of the basket, and opened it. Since I was counting the chocolates, I naturally glanced at the wallet contents.

The wallet contents were as bizarre as the woman herself. There were no cards, just dozens of bills, and they were all 50,000 won notes. What on earth does this woman do...

"Is this basket for sale too?"

"It's not for sale. Let me scan those barcodes please."

The basket was packed so tightly it looked like a game of Tetris about to explode if I added one more bar. Scanning everything took over five minutes. Total price was around 100,000 won.

As I bagged the items and told her the total, she pulled out three bills and laid them on the counter, then grabbed the bag handles to lift it. The weight must’ve been considerable, because she staggered slightly.

“The rest is for tips―”

"Here's your change. We don't accept tips."

"Why not?"

"It complicates the sales settlement."

Of course, there's no such thing, and I just said I wouldn't accept it because I was reluctant to receive anything from this woman. It was obvious that she would use this as an excuse to talk about which world I’m from.

Anyone with a bit of convenience store experience would’ve immediately realized I was talking nonsense, but a woman who walks around with bundles of 50,000 won bills wouldn’t know that kind of thing.

She seemed to accept my words, nodding as she took the bills, and staggered over to the table where her notebook was. She stuffed her notebook and the crumpled pieces of paper she had torn into her bag.

Afterwards, she slung her bag over her shoulder, looked at me, stuck her tongue out briefly and then put it back in before adding.

“Too bad.”

"Customer. I have one thing I'd like to ask."

“Yes, Oppa.”

“Earlier you asked why I was speaking formally even though I’m older. Since you brought it up first, I’m going to ask this casually too.”

“From when?”

“From now on. Who the hell are you, kid?"

I have many things to ask. How did you end up asking if I'm really from this world, what kind of living do you make with that torn notebook, did you receive your home education in fantasy, and so on.

But no matter what I asked, she would probably just stick out her tongue again. So I asked in a way that meant she should answer for herself, and this kid responded without a moment's hesitation.

“I go to that university. I’m a freshman this year.”

"So you're twenty?"

"Yes. Since I answered you, can I ask one thing I'm curious about too?"

“You can ask whatever you want. Whether I answer is up to me.”

“If there really is another world, it must be a fun place. What do you think?”

It's a boring world, and that's both a disadvantage and an advantage. Having been swept away by rainwater and having dived into the deep sea, I find it difficult to treat it purely as a disadvantage.

Of course, I didn’t say that. No idea what kind of delusions she’s harboring, but delusions are self-satisfaction by nature. So I answered in a way that wouldn’t shatter it.

"I don't think that's necessarily true."

"How can you be so sure, when you haven't lived there?"

“If you’re not gonna listen, don’t ask in the first place.”

“I’m just kidding. Sell lots, Oppa."

Then she left, and only Mongmong, who was still soundly asleep after the conversation ended, me, and the phone that was still on the line were left. Looking at the doorbell jingling at the main entrance, I said to Manager.

“Manager. That girl just left. Is that urgent matter still going on?”

[Ah, she’s gone? Then Chan don’t have to come out either.]

“Okay.”

I realized this after the front door bell ringing. I had just put down the phone but hadn't ended the call. Manager would have heard all our conversation through the phone...

The reason he told me to come outside was probably because the conversation didn’t sound normal and he wanted me to cool off for a bit. I asked just to confirm.

“How much of that did Manager-nim hear just now?”

[Everything, start to finish. While listening, I kept thinking about what species that girl might be.]

"I’m still curious about that. What is she?"

[She's probably mixed. Something close to human, but mixed with another species.]

After saying this, Manager mentioned again what she had talked about before. That a war had broken out in this world, and during that war, most of the humans died, with only a few remaining.

“About that, were there more humans before the war?”

[Not many. Not to the level of being hard to find like now, but still.]

If the only sentient beings in this world had been the human species, it could have flowed with a history similar to the world I lived in. With a little bit of magic added to it.

But in this world, there are countless species besides humans that can think and act, and it’s become a place where forming a family purely among humans is no longer easy.

My impression after hearing this is that I just had quite a novel experience.

Excluding the fact that she's mixed, that kid would be the third human I've met in this world. Yoonha Noona and Manager are both closer to non-human than actual human, but still…

"I think this is my first time seeing a mixed-blood species, Manager-nim."

[There are surprisingly many mixed people, Chan. It's just hard to notice from their appearance.]

"I see...."

[Usually, their looks lean toward one parent. Maybe just one or two characteristics that stand out visually?]

"So did that kid just now have characteristics that stood out too?"

[The pupils and hair color. You said they were silver, right?]

“Yes.”

[It’s not a color that can’t occur naturally at all, but there are times when that kind of hair or eye color appears artificially. If it’s not dyed, that is.]

It's possible she really did dye her hair and wear colored contacts, which is why she says ‘probably’.

"For example, Manager-nim?"

[It has to do with the magic they use or the magical power they possess, but this is something that would only become certain if you asked the person directly...]

“Then if she comes again later, can I let you know?”

[Un.]

Then there was a moment of silence. While I stared again at the now quiet outside, I was the one who spoke first.

“Did you get on the bus already, Manager-nim?”

[No? Still waiting.]

"Then I’ll see you at 10. Later, Manager-nim."

[See you later, Chan-ah. Oh, and.]

“Yes?”

[Don't worry too much, Chan-ah. Nothing bad will happen.]

Then the call ended, and I tossed the phone onto the counter with a soft thud and slumped down. What does the visit from that silver-haired kid just now mean to me?

This is a first. This is the first time someone has caught on that I'm from another world.

I don’t think it’ll become a big problem. It’s not like there’s any proof. If Manager and I both play dumb, what can she even do?

What worries me, however, is that this could set a precedent. Even if Manager and I don't say anything, someone else might realize the existence of my world on their own.

Honestly, I’m not sure what would happen to me then. If I were to indulge in ominous imagination, if someone who wants to go back and forth to my world learns that they can't even come and go without me—

“…Why am I worrying about things in advance.”

I still know nothing. We only talked for about ten minutes.

That kid said she would come back. Since I don't really know anything yet, it would be right to worry when that time comes, if I'm going to worry at all.




|Note

---

Consider supporting me by subscribing on Patreon for 5$. 

Advance chapters of Magic Realm Convenience Store Worker : 20 Chapters

Advance chapters of Got a Gallery in the Wild : 8 Chapters

Also, consider visiting my patreon to check out my other projects